Pawnshop Poetry #1

EXT. STREET – DAY
DYLCIA walks down the street listening to her headphones. Something catches her eye as she walks past a pawnshop window. She stops and looks into the window. She looks at her watch and see the second hand ticking then walks inside the pawn shop.

INT. PAWN SHOP – DAY
SAM the pawnshop owner is doing some accounting on a glass display counter with watches and jewelry.

SAM
No kids allowed in the store.
DYLCIA
I wanna see something that’s in the window.
SAM
I don’t care. No kids allowed in the store.
DYLCIA
I wanna buy it.
SAM
What do you want to buy?
DYLCIA
This… (she points to a box in the window)
SAM
You have money?
DYLCIA
Yeah. I got money.

SAM gets a beautifully decorated wooden box with a Puerto Rican flag painted on it out of the window. He puts it on the counter. DYLCIA picks it up.

DYLCIA
I wanna buy it. How much is it?
SAM
How much money do you have?
DYLCIA
What do you mean how much money do I have?
SAM
How much money do you have?
DYLCIA
What kind of question is that?
SAM
A simple question. Now, how much do you have?

DYLCIA reaches into her pocket and pulls out a bunch of bills and puts them on the counter. SAM counts the bills.

SAM
It’s not enough.
DYLCIA
How much is it?
SAM
What does it matter how much it is if
you haven’t got enough to pay for it?

DYLCIA picks up the box and looks for a price.

DYLCIA
It doesn’t have a price.
How do you know how much it is?
SAM
I know… that’s how I know.
DYLCIA
You don’t put the price on things
so people can know?
SAM
No. I don’t put the price on things.
If people want something bad enough they’ll pay.

DYLCIA turns around and looks at the guitars hanging in the store with prices on them.

DYLCIA
You put the price tags on those guitars.
SAM
Yeah. Some things got prices tags on them
others don’t. It doesn’t matter because
you can’t afford this.
DYLCIA
But I still want it. Tell me much it is
and I’ll find a way to pay it.

SAM thinks for a moment…

SAM
You want it so bad? I’ll make you a deal.
I’ll take this money you have here and when
you get more money you come back and
you bring it to me. If you have enough money
next time to pay for it I’ll give it to you.
DYLCIA
What happens if I don’t have enough
money the next time to pay for it?
SAM
I’ll take that and I’ll apply it to the final price.
DYLCIA
And you won’t sell it to anyone else?
SAM
No. This money says it’s yours.
DYLCIA
If that money says it’s mine why can’t I have it?
SAM
Because you haven’t finished paying for it.
When you finish paying for it you can have it.
DYLCIA
So this money says it’s mine
but I can’t have it until I finish paying for it?
SAM
Yeah.

DYLCIA gives SAM a dirty look she puts her money down on the counter. SAM pockets the money and smiles as DYLCIA walks out with an uneasy feeling of dissatisfaction.